Watford Football Club are an English football club, from Watford, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1881 as Watford Rovers, the club has competed in the Football League since 1920 and since the 2015–16 season have competed in the Premier League. First introduced by the Watford Observer in the 1972–73 season, the Watford F.C. Player of the Season award is voted for annually by supporters of the club. It recognises the best overall performance by an individual player through the season. Winners were originally presented with the Watford Observer Trophy, but since 2016–17 the award has been named the Graham Taylor Player of the Season Award, after the club's former manager.

Goalkeeper Andy Rankin won the initial award in the 1972–73 season, ahead of Colin Franks and Duncan Welbourne. In the 1974–75 season, Rankin won the award for the second time, becoming the first of ten players to do so as of 2016. Another goalkeeper, Tony Coton, is the only player to have received the title for a third time. Coton is one of four players to have won the award in consecutive seasons, the others being Wilf Rostron in 1982–83 and 1983–84, Tommy Smith in 2007–08 and 2008–09, and most recently, Troy Deeney in 2013–14 and 2014–15. Eight winners of the award have represented their country at full international level, of whom only John McClelland went on to become Watford's Player of the Season for a second time.

Towards the end of each season, fans vote directly for the Player of the Season. Historically this has been conducted by post, but in recent years it has taken place on the Watford Observer's website. This system was earmarked for change to a match-by-match rating system in 2009, but in March 2010, the Observer decided to revert to the traditional method of voting.

Defender Mattie Pollock was awarded Player of the Season for 2025/26.

Winners

Statistics correct at end of 2018–19 season.

+Watford F.C. Player of the Season winnersSeasonLevelNamePositionAppsGoalsNational teamNotes1972–73 3 Goalkeeper 329 0 England under-23 1973–74 3 Forward 100 37 England youth 1974–75 3 Goalkeeper 329 0 England under-231975–76 4 Forward 398 142 1976–77 4 Forward154 53 1977–78 4 Defender 232 16 1978–79 3 Forward 398 142 1979–80 2 Defender 287 36 1980–81 2 Defender 219 8 England B1981–82 2 Midfielder 211 20 1982–83 1 Defender 404 30 England schoolboys 1983–84 1 Defender 404 30 England schoolboys1984–85 1 Defender 234 3 Northern Ireland 1985–86 1 Goalkeeper 291 0 England B 1986–87 1 Goalkeeper 291 0 England B 1987–88 1 Defender 234 3 Northern Ireland 1988–89 2 Midfielder 102 19 Wales 1989–90 2 Goalkeeper 291 0 England B 1990–91 2 Goalkeeper 98 0 England1991–92 2 Defender 491 7 England under-211992–93 2 Forward 91 41 England C1993–94 2 Midfielder 472 57 England under-21 1994–95 2 Goalkeeper 151 0 1995–96 2 Forward 287 64 1996–97 3 Goalkeeper 151 0 1997–98 3 Goalkeeper 288 0 1998–99 2 Defender 272 9 1999–2000 1 Defender 252 3 Wales2000–01 2 Forward 287 64 2001–02 2 Goalkeeper 288 0 2002–03 2 Defender 115 9 Jamaica2003–04 2 Midfielder 215 7 2004–05 2 Forward 228 75 Iceland2005–06 2 Forward 87 37 Jamaica 2006–07 1 Goalkeeper 119 0 England2007–08 2 Midfielder 306 64 England under-212008–09 2 Midfielder 306 64 England under-212009–102 Midfielder9413 England under-212010–112 Forward 98 41 England under-20 2011–122Defender3175 Jamaica"Adrian Mariappa". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 April 2012."Hornets duo help Jamaica to victory". Watford Observer. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012.2012–132Midfielder9223 Switzerland2013–142 Forward 3711232014–152 Forward 3711232015–161 Goalkeeper 1560 Brazil2016–171 Defender 823 Austria2017–181 Midfielder 10213 France under-212018–191 Midfielder 14014 France

Statistics

+Wins by playing positionPositionNumber of winnersGoalkeeper 12Defender 13Midfielder 10Forward 12

+Wins by international representationCountryNumber of winners 18 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1

Footnotes

References General Players of the Season sourced to: Pre-1998 player information sourced to: Post-1998 player information sourced to: Further information sourced in an individual player's notes section as necessary.

Further reading

Specific